Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has made a speech to the UN stating his country's "inalienable right" to produce nuclear energy.

He attacked Western governments for trying to create an "apartheid" system in peaceful nuclear technology.

The following are excerpts of the speech.

Today we have gathered here to exchange views about the world, its future
and our common responsibilities towards it. It is evident that the future of the
world is intertwined with its current state and the prevailing trends, which exhibit
signs of hope and despair.

On the one hand certain hopes and opportunities exist, and this August the assembly is convened on such hopes...

We believe that all countries and nations are entitled to technological
and scientific advancement in all fields, particularly the peaceful technology to
produce nuclear fuel - such access cannot be restricted to a few

The prevalence of military domination, increasing
poverty, the growing gap between rich and poor countries, violence as a means to solve crises, spread of terrorism, especially state terrorism, existence and
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, the pervasive lack of honesty in
interstate relations, and disregard for the equal rights of peoples and nations in
international relations, constitute some of the challenges and threats.

Although these challenges are very real, we believe we are not predestined
to experience them. We can not only change this course but in fact
can lead us to a life filled with hope and prosperity...

'Discriminatory approach

Can nations be deprived of scientific and technological progress through the
threat of use of force and based on mere allegations of possibility of military
diversion? We believe that all countries and nations are entitled to technological
and scientific advancement in all fields, particularly the peaceful technology to
produce nuclear fuel.

Such access cannot be restricted to a few, depriving most
nations and by establishing economic monopolies, use them as an instrument to
expand their domination.
..

Some powerful states practice a discriminatory approach against access of
Non-Proliferation Treaty members to material, equipment, and peaceful nuclear technology, and by
doing so intend to impose a nuclear apartheid. We are concerned that once certain
powerful states completely control nuclear energy resources and technology, they
will deny access to other states and thus deepen the divide between powerful
countries and the rest of the international community...

What needs our particular attention is the fact that peaceful use of nuclear
energy without possession of nuclear fuel cycle is an empty proposition.

Nuclear
power plants can indeed lead to total dependence of countries and peoples if they
need to rely for their fuel on coercive powers, who do not refrain from any
measure in furtherance of their interests. No popularly elected and responsible
government can consider such a situation in the interest of its people. The history
of dependence on oil in oil-rich countries under domination is an experiment that
no independent country is willing to repeat.

'Propaganda ploy'

Those hegemonic powers, who consider scientific and technological
progress of independent and free nations as a challenge to their monopoly on these
important instruments of power and who do not want to see such achievements in
other countries, have misrepresented Iran's healthy and fully safeguarded
technological endeavours in the nuclear field as pursuit of nuclear weapons.

This is
nothing but a propaganda ploy. The Islamic Republic of Iran is presenting in good
faith its proposal for constructive interaction and a just dialogue.

However, if some
try to impose their will on the Iranian people through resort to a language of force
and threat with Iran, we will reconsider our entire approach to the nuclear issue.
Allow me, as the elected president of the Iranian people, to outline the
other main elements of my country's initiative regarding the nuclear issue:

1. The Islamic Republic of Iran reiterates its previously and repeatedly declared
position that in accordance with our religious principles, pursuit of nuclear
weapons is prohibited.

2. The Islamic Republic of Iran believes that it is necessary to revitalise the NPT
and create the above-mentioned ad-hoc committee so that it can combat nuclear
weapons and abolish the apartheid in peaceful nuclear technology.

3. Technically, the fuel cycle of the Islamic Republic of Iran is not different from
that of other countries which have peaceful nuclear technology.

Therefore, as a
further confidence-building measure and in order to provide the greatest degree
of transparency, the Islamic Republic of Iran is prepared to engage in serious
partnership with private and public sectors of other countries in the
implementation of uranium enrichment programme in Iran. This represents the most far-reaching step, outside all requirements of the NPT, being proposed by
Iran as a further confidence building measure.

4. In keeping with Iran's inalienable right to have access to a nuclear fuel cycle,
continued interaction and technical and legal cooperation with the IAEA will be
the centrepiece of our nuclear policy. Initiation and continuation of negotiations
with other countries will be carried out in the context of Iran's interaction with
the agency. With this in mind, I have directed the relevant Iranian officials to
compile the legal and technical details, of Iran's nuclear approach, based on the
following considerations:

4.1. International precedence tells us that nuclear fuel-delivery contracts are
unreliable and no legally binding international document or instrument
exists to guarantee the delivery of nuclear fuel. On many occasions such
bilateral contracts have either been suspended or stopped altogether for
political reasons. Therefore, the Islamic Republic of Iran, in its pursuit of
peaceful nuclear technology, considers it within its legitimate rights to
receive objective guarantees for uranium enrichment in the nuclear fuel
cycle.

4.2. In its negotiations with the EU, Iran has tried in earnest to prove the
solid and rightful foundations of its nuclear activity in the context of the
NPT, and to establish mutual trust. The selection of our negotiating partners
and the continuation of negotiations with the EU will be commensurate
with the requirements of our cooperation with the agency regarding non-diversion
of the process of uranium enrichment to non-peaceful purposes in
the framework of the provisions of the NPT. In this context, several
proposals have been presented which can be considered in the context of
negotiations...

4.3. The discriminatory approaches regarding the NPT that focuses on the
obligations of state-parties and disregards their rights under the Treaty
should be discontinued.
.. My country will interact and cooperate
constructively with the international community to face the challenges before us.